


I'll Love You 'Til the Suns Burn Out

by MBlair



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Character Death Fix, F/M, Fix-It, Force Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MBlair/pseuds/MBlair
Summary: After the events of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey has only one mission -- to get herself and Ben out alive. TROS SPOILERS AHEAD, this is a short Reylo Fix-It fic.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86
Collections: TROS Reylo Fix-it Fics, The_Multishipper_Post_TROS_Happy_Place_Collection





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Xochiquetzl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xochiquetzl/gifts).



> DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. You have been warned. If you are spoiled because you continued to read, it is your fault. Not mine. 
> 
> Anyway... This is a fic I wrote in the two days after my first viewing of The Rise of Skywalker. Obviously they made some major errors that now need to be fixed, and I'm hoping as a wise man once said...this will begin to set things right.

When the end had come, there was silence. Not true silence, the explosions from the battle overhead still echoing in the massive chamber they found themselves in, but silence in the Force. Peace. True peace for the first time in generations.

The two lovers knelt together on the stone floor, arms wrapped around the other in a desperate attempt to feel something _real_. Not a fantasy, not a vision, but reality. After a moment, Rey pulled away just enough to really look at him, the broad, toothy smile on his face almost like bliss in the moonlight.

Rey leaned forward, brushing her lips gently against his, her hand cupping his cheek in much the same way. She knew there wasn’t much time before the world would collapse, with them likely still on it, but there could be one more moment. One more stretch of time to just be. No First Order, no Resistance, no war. Just Ben and Rey, together at last.

As all moments do, however, it had to end. The sounds of the battle above grew ever closer, star destroyers exploding overhead and the victory near. She pulled away to stand, but Ben’s hand stopped her from moving away.

“Ben, we have to get out of here,” she said, taking his hand and squeezing it. He nodded, seeming to bring himself back to the surface again. She helped him to his feet, the Force helping her though it was still difficult to support him against her weakened body. They slowly moved out onto the frigid landscape of the planet, fire and falling debris beginning to surround them.

“Leia, it’s me. It’s Rey. We need help,” Rey spoke into the comm, the life link between them powering the connection. After a few moments of silence, she tried again, but nothing ever went through. Reaching into the pouch on her side, she pulled out the life link, the once blue crystal black and dead. Ben gently took it from her, pressing a small kiss to her forehead. As much as he wished he could comfort her, find some way to ease the pain, there was still too much of his own to bear. The last link to his past, his family, was gone. He was the last Skywalker.

Feeling the life link tear away from the communicator, she tried again, tears in her voice. “Chewie? Finn? Poe? Anyone? Can anyone hear me,” she sobbed, somehow keeping Ben against her with everything falling apart around them. “Please, we need help. Please.”

 _‘We’re coming Rey. Stay where you are,’_ came the roar from the other side, making Rey finally fall down to her knees with Ben still against her. He had long since fallen unconscious again, the remaining energy Rey had left all that was keeping him from collapsing back onto the cold, hard ground.

***

  
When Ben woke, it felt as if his entire world was shifting around him. Though that may have perhaps been the ship that was frantically flying out of the destruction of hundreds of star destroyers, all being shot down by the last of the Resistance. His eyes opened slowly but closed again before he could force them to stop.

His eyes opened once more, but instead of the dark, cold floor of a Sith hideaway or the shaking crew quarters of the fleeing Millenium Falcon, he was in a place that felt light, but warm and comfortable. He sat up slowly and looked at his surroundings. The light seemed endless, pressing on into space without a shadow in sight. Though he appeared to be alone, something in the Force spoke to him of the presence of others.

“Hey kid,” a voice said from behind him, making Ben turn and stand. There again, as solid and real as any living person, was his father.

“Dad,” Ben replied, just as he had before. Though this time was far different. Instead of staying away, afraid of what would happen and ashamed of what he had done, he walked forward to embrace his father. Han hugged Ben tight, rubbing his back when the younger man trembled in his arms like the little boy he remembered from so long again.

“It’s alright, kid. We’re here. It’s going to be okay,” Han whispered to Ben, both his and another set of arms holding onto Ben tight. Both Han and Leia lowered Ben to the floor, holding onto him just as tight as he clung to them.

Once the tears ran out, Ben lifted his head to look at both of his parents, there comforting him like he was a tiny child who had just had a nightmare. He closed his eyes and shook his head gently, convincing himself that this wasn’t real, that his family was gone because of his selfishness, his lack of resolve. When he opened his eyes again however, they were still there, patiently waiting for him to realize that this was real. As real as anything in the Force could be.

“I’m sorry… Mama. Dad. I’m sorry for everything,” he said, unable to look either of them in the eye any longer as he made his long-overdue apologies. “I’m sorry for not being stronger, not fighting back. I’m sorry for killing you both, taking you away from the people who needed you. Taking you away when I did.” He stopped, unable to say anymore without breaking down, falling into a void of guilt and despair he was afraid was too deep to climb out of.

The Leia of his mind -- of which he was sure had to be happening because none of this could be real -- shushed him gently like she did when he was a little boy, brushing back his hair from his face. “Shhh, darling. I know. We know you’re sorry,” she said softly, gently wiping away his tears. “We forgave you a long time ago.”

It was those words, lovingly spoken, that sealed Ben’s resolve that all of this had to have been a dream. A fantasy of some kind to make him believe that he was loved, that he deserved to be forgiven for all he had done. Nothing in the galaxy or the Force could be more of a dream than this, except if Rey had been with him. The people that he loved most in the galaxy giving him everything he had ever wanted and asking for nothing in return.

“No, this isn’t real,” Ben said as he pulled away, standing. He paced across the silent floor, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “This is all in my head.”

“Of course it’s happening inside your head, Ben, but why should that mean that it is not real,” another voice came from the void, a familiar one that he couldn’t place. Ben looked to the sky, before turning back to his parents, looking for direction. They were beginning to fade, smiling sadly at Ben before disappearing entirely. Soon he began to fade as well, everything turning to black.

***

  
“It appears Master Ben is waking, Mistress Rey.”

“Ben… Ben, can you hear me?”

A touch, a soft hand caressing his cheek accompanied that voice, the one that was more familiar to him than anyone else ever could be. His eyes soon opened, his head turning to follow the voice and the touch, wanting to see the woman he loved.

Rey smiled when she saw his eyes flutter then open, turning as if he were searching for her. She leaned down to kiss his forehead gently, brushing his hair back before pulling away. “It’s alright, I’m here… You’re okay. We’re safe,” she said, giving him the same bright smile he had given her what felt like years before.  
“Where are we,” he asked, coughing as soon as the words left his mouth, his throat dry from lack of use. He soon had a small glass of water brought to him, Rey helping him sit up just enough to take a couple of small sips.

Rey sat back on the edge of the hospital bed once Ben was down again, the pillows fluffed behind his head to keep him comfortable. Her tunic and trousers borrowed from one of the kind nurses that had been in and out to look after Ben flowed around her small frame and her hair falling loose onto her shoulders made her look less like a Jedi and more like the young woman she was. More like the young princess she could be.

“We’re on Chandrila, at a hospital base,” she said, biting her lip for a moment in hesitation. How much should she tell him? How much could he handle knowing? “We’ve been here for nearly a week… No one was sure if you would wake up, or when.”

Ben shifted himself to sit up more, wincing in obvious pain at even the slightest movement, making Rey wince herself in response before moving to help him. Soon he was supported as best she could on the remaining pillows, sitting up enough to look around the room if he wanted. His eyes, however, stayed on Rey.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered to her, giving her the same brilliant smile as when she kissed him, taking the hand that was beside him on the bed. “A true Jedi princess.”

Moving closer, Rey laid down beside him, touching his cheek and leaning in for another kiss.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright peeps, I wasn't intending on actually writing anymore for this fic, but a combination of plot bunny and a failed attempt at writing for the Valentine's Day Reylo exchange gave us this. I don't know how many chapters this will end up being yet, but stick around for a while. It's going to be a ride. 
> 
> Again, spoilers for TROS. If you've made it this far and have been spoiled, that's on you.

Ben soon fell asleep again, still exhausted from the damage he had sustained from the battle with Palpatine and the effort it took to bring her back to life. Though she worried that he wasn’t well, the Force was strong around him, wrapping him up in a blanket of protection again. Unless some spirit or silent enemy were to come for him still, he would be safe.

“Stay with him, Threepio. If he wakes up again, get me on the comm? I need to take a walk,” she said to the golden droid, trusting no one more with Ben while they were all here together.

“Of course, Mistress Rey. Would you like me to alert you when Chewbacca returns as well,” the unique mechanized voice replied, moving away from his post at the door closer to the bed. “I will not move from my spot unless asked.”

“Please,” she replied, taking one look at Ben in the bed. “Thank you, Threepio. I’ll be back soon.” As much as she hated to leave him, especially so soon after almost losing him forever, the thoughts forming in her mind made her restless. There was likely nothing she could do to completely shut them out here, especially with the amount of noise in the Force from the myriad of life forms in the medical center, but it was worth it to try. If not for her own peace of mind, but also to keep Ben as calm and peaceful as she could. She leaned down to kiss Ben’s forehead one more time, smoothing back his hair before pulling away, pulling a warm shawl over her shoulders and leaving the room.

Rey couldn’t help but bring her thoughts back to those moments as she walked, the blank blackness of her mind before light and sound returned to her, the air rushing into her lungs and blood pumping through her heart again. The feeling of life returning to her was indescribable, even now.

She walked the corridors of the medical center for what felt like hours, grateful to be largely left alone by anyone she encountered. Soon she found a secluded spot in a small sitting room, meant to be for family and friends of patients to wait but thankfully empty. She walked in and made herself comfortable in the corner, closing her eyes as she slid into the Force itself, leaving herself completely behind.

* * *

When Rey opened her eyes, she found not the familiar nothingness of the Force, but heat and bright sunshine. Beneath her was sand, harsh and blowing in the winds that spoke of an afternoon sandstorm. She was as intimately familiar with her surroundings as she was with everything she had experienced in the past year, perhaps even more so. It was a part of her.

Jakku.

Around her was dunes of sand surrounding the AT-AT walker she had taken and created as her home as soon as she was old enough to be on her own, an orphan scavenger that found more pleasure in solitude than being around other scavengers, many of whom hated her for her youth and impeccable way of finding the best parts. Finally standing, she approached the Imperial walker with caution, soon seeing it was still exactly as she left it the morning she ventured into Niima Outpost the fateful day with BB8, the very start of her adventure.

Rey sat on the small piece of fabric laying over native grass that had served as a bed for so many years, looking around the sparse abode she had created for herself. No one had helped her, in fact, many tried to hinder her efforts by stealing supplies or building materials as she slept, but somehow she managed it. The real AT-AT walker in the deserts of Jakku, for this wasn’t, had likely be stripped clean as soon as it was clear she wasn’t coming back, but for the moment...she was home.

“We never intended to leave you here forever,” a voice came from the door, making Rey jump to her feet and light her saber, pointing it at the man standing there.

“Who are you? What are you doing here,” Rey asked, cursing herself for lowering her defenses for even a second. The man was familiar to her, a face that had been burned into her mind and spirit, but she couldn’t place why. Was he a spirit come to take her away like the old ghost stories? A vision from the Force to test her resolve? Her lightsaber lit in that split second pointed directly at the unwelcome intruder.

His hands moved up to show he was unarmed, staring at the end of the lightsaber in silent terror for a second before his expression changed into something more neutral. It clearly wasn’t the first time the man had seen a lightsaber, let alone had one pointed at him like this, his expression was clear enough. It wasn’t until she truly noticed it that his words sank into her.

We never intended to leave you here forever.

Rey lowered her lightsaber, the light diminishing as she clicked it off. The two stood in silence for a few moments, the sounds of an afternoon sandstorm beginning to build and rage outside.

“Who are you,” Rey asked again, voice softer and almost childlike.

“Rey… I’m your father,” the man replied, coming closer once he was sure that she wouldn’t shy away, gathering her in his arms for a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, starshine.”

Rey melted into her father’s arms, believing without a doubt that his words were true, not even needing the Force to tell her that. This was something true and real, only for her at a moment she needed it most. When the tears finally faded and dried, a lifetime’s worth of pain and abandonment pouring out against her father’s jacket, she raised her head again, leading them both to sit on her small cot.

Taking a moment to consider what question of the millions she had thought of in the years she had lived here, she struggled with which she would ask first. What would any child want to know from the parent who abandoned them?

“Why did you leave me?”

A sigh came through her father’s mouth, looking down at the sandy, metal floor. He really let himself look at the tiny, austere home that his daughter had made for herself, the life she had led. It made him proud but also sad. She was meant to have so much more than this, a life of comfort and joy, not suffering and pain.

“I suppose I should start from the beginning. My father… Maker, he is a terrible man. Not even a man, a monster,” he said, the anger that was always just under the surface beginning to show on his face. With the right push, he had the potential to become just as monstrous. “When you were born, your mother and I swore to each other that he would never have you. Never know of your existence, because if he did...he would use you. He would see your connection to the Force as a pathway and a tool for his return to power.”

Rey nodded in understanding, not having the heart to tell her father that he had ended up doing exactly, or at least attempted to. She allowed him a moment to collect his thoughts, knowing there was more to the story.

“When we finally discovered that he had been made aware of you, either by feeling your growing presence in the force or by other means, we knew… There would be no corner of the galaxy that your mother and I could keep you safe. Not while he was still alive,” he continued, reaching over for Rey’s hand. “We had to make it look like you died, like you never really existed at all. So, when we left you Jakku, it was to protect you. Everything we did was to protect you.”

“You sold me, to a junk trader. You didn’t just abandon me, you made me someone else’s property,” she replied, standing up and pacing across the small room. All the years of wondering what she had done wrong, why she hadn’t been good enough for her parents and that was the excuse he gave her? It was all to protect her? “Do you understand what that did to me? I waited for you both to come back, years I spent here, working for barely enough to survive, waiting and counting every day I was alone.” Turning, she stood in front of the previously bare metal wall, now covered with thousands of small markings, each a day of her life spent wondering.

His eyes moved to the wall Rey was standing in front of, imagining a little girl marking it and then a young woman. The very same woman standing in front of him but different all the same. Rey had grown up since she had left this place, that much was clear. Jakku was no longer her home. “You don’t live here anymore. This isn’t your home.”

Rey didn’t reply to the simple statement, her anger still brewing in the Force around her. Remembering the lessons of the Jedi that came before her, she soon brought it under control, finding peace in the chaos of the Force. “No, this isn’t. I left Jakku. My home there likely doesn’t look like this anymore… It would have been scavenged as soon as I left the planet, whether I was returning or not.”

The guilt only increased when their surroundings changed, everything that made it seem like a home long since taken, the dilapidation taking hold in earnest now. There was nothing left on this planet that Rey could call home if she ever wanted to return.

“I found a new home. A new family,” she whispered after a long silence, looking out of the door out toward the desert landscape, never imagining she would miss the quiet as much as she did. She let the silence continue on again, the last bits of her anger finally fading. “It’s small and complicated, but I know they care. They love me. They want to see me safe and happy, no matter what happens. No matter who I am.” Out of all that had happened to her, all the pain and doubt, it was one thing she didn’t doubt in the slightest. Not anymore.

He sighed, knowing that despite all their best efforts, they hadn’t protected her at all. She had found her own way despite them, found the woman she was meant to be and a family of her own. “I’m proud of you, Rey,” his voice came through, giving her one last sad smile before disappearing into the Force, leaving her alone once again. Forever.

* * *

It was only when she could feel someone approaching that Rey came out of her meditation, not deep enough to find true rest but enough to feel Ben’s life force glimmering blue in the space nearby. It wasn’t Ben however that brought her back to the present, but another much less peaceful one. She opened her eyes to find a young nurse standing in front of her, looking nervous at the obvious display of the Force in front of her.

Rey moved to sit back on her knees, watching the young nurse watching her, trying to decide whether to speak or run. She likely didn’t have much experience with Force-sensitives and what she did have likely wasn’t good. “I was asked to tell you that your husband is awake,” she said, looking a little more comfortable once Rey was more a normal woman and less a Jedi.

“Thank you,” Rey replied, carefully standing again and brushing the little bit of dust she had accumulated off the floor off of her borrowed pants, hopeful that when Chewie returned, he would have something more comfortable to wear. She walked toward Ben’s room again, enjoying the silence of most of the patients resting or enjoying the gentle sunshine outdoors, many if not all of the patients that were able doing so. Once she made it to the room, the smile that had faded from her face returned full force, seeing Ben sitting up comfortably with Threepio fussing over him.

“Hello, wife,” was the first thing that came from Ben’s mouth as Rey entered the room, thanking the young nurse before closing the door behind her. She shook her head a bit, thankful for the relative quiet of the room and the inability of the medical staff to keep from listening to private conversations. “I believe I may have missed something while I was asleep. Care to catch me up?”

Rey leaned down to kiss Ben’s forehead gently before sitting in the chair next to him, Threepio wandering off to find Ben a tray with some lunch now that his duty of staying by Ben’s side was over. “They wouldn’t keep me updated with your condition or stay with as much freedom if I wasn’t family. Since technically I’m not, Chewie and I told the medical staff that I am your wife. I hope you don’t have an issue with that.”

“No… I really don’t mind. I like the idea,” he replied, his eyes dropping shut when Rey leaned forward to kiss him, cupping her cheek with his hand to keep her close even when she sat down next to him. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave his side unless it was absolutely necessary. “I must say, I couldn’t have found a better woman to marry, even if it’s just pretend for a while. Rey Solo.”

_Rey Solo_. The name coming from Ben’s lips was a dream come true, a dream that she had barely allowed herself to think about. Though they had a very wonderful kiss and an exchange of ‘I love you’s’, that didn’t mean that there was anything permanent, lasting in it. She knew that she loved him, that she had loved him for far longer than she could admit to herself, but did he love her? Or was it just...something else?

“Hey, you’re far away… What’s wrong,” Ben asked, rubbing his thumb over her cheek just enough to bring Rey back from the faraway place her mind had taken her.

“Nothing. I’m just overthinking,” Rey replied, moving closer to Ben. It wouldn’t do to lose herself in what if’s now, especially if it meant not taking all the chances she could to be with the man she loved. “I’m sure you understand how easy it is.”

“I do. I honestly think it’s in my DNA to overthink things,” he replied, trying to joke to make her smile. It soon worked, the little giggle that came from Rey was a balm on his heart, making him fall deeper in love with her than he ever thought possible.


End file.
